aeternus

Thanks be to Augustine for looking beyond himself and in humility accepting Gods great mercy. How hard it must have been for Augustine, the intellectual, to finally admit that the truth of Jesus Christ was the TRUTH which lay before him for so long. The truth he did not embrace and the truth he tried to “intelligently” explain away.

Praise the Lord, Augustine did not allow his past to keep him from God. Once he found the truth, he embraced it with pure contrition and love. By the reformation of his mind and his heart he was able to reform his rambunctious lifestyle. Augustine serves as a great example of how our sins, however great, are no match for the INFINITE MERCY of GOD!

This great saint has helped to convert countless souls with his rich and well reasoned theology by uniting his rational and scholarly mind with his heart and soul aflame with love. What a great son of the Church!

I really like the passage from Augustine’s Confessions that we read in today’s Office of Readings. In chapter 10 he speaks of his “mystical conversion” so beautifully. I will add a little snippet here…

“And being thence admonished to return to myself, I entered even into my inward self, Thou being my Guide: and able I was, for Thou wert become my Helper. And I entered and beheld with the eye of my soul (such as it was), above the same eye of my soul, above my mind, the Light Unchangeable. Not this ordinary light, which all flesh may look upon, nor as it were a greater of the same kind, as though the brightness of this should be manifold brighter, and with its greatness take up all space. Not such was this light, but other, yea, far other from these. Nor was it above my soul, as oil is above water, nor yet as heaven above earth: but above to my soul, because It made me; and I below It, because I was made by It. He that knows the Truth, knows what that Light is; and he that knows It, knows eternity.”

Excerpt from the Public Domain version of the Confessions of Saint Augustine at the Christian Classic Ethereal Library.

Image: Sandro Botticelli, Saint Augustine, Ognissanti’s Church, Firenze

Share This

Happy feast day to St. Louis, King of France and to all Saint Louisians here in Missouri. We will be heading down to the Cathedral today for the annual “Fete” celebration. It is too bad that they do not have the Medieval Knights demonstrating their battling techniques. The boys LOVED that. I guess we’ll have to find pleasure in strolling through the artisan tents. But, I do not mean to make light of this feast day. What an amazing man we have to remember today. King, Crusader, man of virtue and piety…

It is say “Of St. Louis of France (1214-70) that “without counting his other prayers the holy King knelt down each evening fifty times and each time he stood upright repeated slowly an Ave Maria”.

When we speak of a ‘genuflection’ today we think of going down on one knee but in the present context I think we should understand the act of ‘genuflection’ or ‘prostration’ as going down on both knees, bowing so as to touch the ground with the forehead. [The literature is not clear on this and a single genuflection may have been used ]. The double genuflection is known in the Orthodox church as a great metany (metanœa), referred to in Latin as a veniae (a pardon) and to the Irish monks as the slectain. Those who practised this form of asceticism on a regular basis developed hard callouses on the knees and bumps on the forehead.”

What a beautiful, beautiful act to honor our God! This practice helps us to show our Lord how much we love and adore Him. This prostration is an outward sign of love which speaks also to those who might see us exampling this in front of the Eucharistic presence in the tabernacle or monstrance.

Of course it is of little use to mention Saint Louis unless we hear some of the man’s words. Perhaps one of the most famous lines written is from a letter he wrote to his son. The glimpse it gives us into this earthly king’s heart is inspirational. He says:

“If God send thee adversity, receive it in patience and give thanks to our Saviour and bethink thee that thou hast deserved it, and that He will make it turn to thine advantage. If He send thee prosperity, then thank Him humbly, so that thou becomest not worse from pride or any other cause, when thou oughtest to be better. For we should not fight against God with his own gifts.”

Photograph from and oil painting and shrine at the Basilica of St. Louis, King in St. Louis.

Genuflection quote from:Beads and Prayers: The Rosary in History and Devotion
© John Desmond Miller June 2002

Share This

While today is the feast day of St. Bartholomew, I would like to honor that by talking a little bit about a Carmelite Blessed who was named after him - Blessed Anne.

Anne was born in a small town near the old Castille in Spain and received great friendship with the Lord from a very young age. When she was old enough her parents sent her to the fields to tend the flocks and it was there she began her communion with the Lord. Recollected in the greatness of God she would be in constant prayer admiring His great nature and the splendor of His created Earth. She was in such great love with God that at the age of 7, she had declared “because I fear to commit sin, and would rather die.”

Anne’s parents died when she was not yet of age and so she and her older siblings managed their little farm as best they could. Her brothers had grown anxious to marry her off, but she was determined not to settle for anything less than her beloved Jesus. She fell ill and this was probably because she was so worried they would force her into marriage, but also because she had been accosted by a demonic barrage. Masses were offered for her but she found no relief.

It was near the feast of Saint Bartholomew and there was a holy little hermitage dedicated to him near their village. People had great devotion to Bartholomew in this area and she begged to go on a pilgrimage to this place and make a novena. Her family was to accompany her to the hermitage and she barely made it there. In fact, she collapsed in a paralysis just before entering the chapel. It seemed all was lost, but then she was carried into the sanctuary. At that moment, all malady which held her in its grip left her.

Eventually, through more trials and battles with the evil one, Anne was able to join the Carmelites under the reform of their Holy Mother, Teresa of Avila. Teresa quickly recognized the great humility and favored prayer life enjoyed by Anne and the Saint took her to be her constant companion.

The story of Anne of Bartholomew continues on for her life was filled with adventure for the Lord. Taking care of Holy Mother Teresa and holding her during her final breathes on earth and then founding new monasteries herself in France and Belgium. Her story is beautiful. But let me give you some of Anne’s words as she was about to enter the novitiate at the Carmel of St. Joseph, Saint Teresa’s first reformed Carmel. The passage come from her Autobiography which was translated from French…

“Scarcely had I passed a few days in the Monastery of t. Joseph than it pleased our Lord to hid Himself from me and leave me in darkness. My desolation was great. I said to this Adorable Master: “how is this? Why have you abandoned me? If I did not know you, I would think you had deceived me, and if I had known you would go away I would not have come to the monastery.”

This abandonment lasted ruing the entire year of novitiate. At the end of the year I entered one day the hermitage of Christ at the Pillar to pray. Scarcely had I knelt down than I became supernaturally recollected, and our Lord appeared to me fastened to the cross. The first words He addressed to me were in reply to a desire I had to know whether the thirst He experienced on the cross was a natural thirst. he said to me: “my thirst was only a thirst for souls. From henceforth you must apply yourself to the consideration of this truth, and you must walk in a different path from that you have followed until now.” As if He has said to me, “child, no longer seek Me.” He then caused me to see all virtues in their perfection; they were exquisitely beautiful. I was the more impressed when I realized how far I was from their beauty and perfection. After having favored me with this light, the Divine Master disappeared, leaving my heart deeply wounded with His love, as well as by seeing Him on the cross so deeply wounded with the love of souls. This grace remained so indelibly impressed in my souls that it was with me day and night; my heart was with my Adorable Master, and my Adorable Master was in my heart; this was my usual state. Wherever I might be I experienced a zeal beyond expression for the salvation of souls and for the acquisition of those virtues that the Divine Master had shown me in the vision I have just related. He told me that it was by the way of the cross I would acquire them.”

Icon images:

icoon, 1999
zr. Juliette Christiaens, miss. van Afrika

Images below from the Carmel in Antwerp

Share This

When I hear the litany of saints my ears perk up when we get close to today’s feast saint, Rose of Lima. I don’t know exactly why this happens. I think it first happened by chance when our Holy Father, John Paul II visited South America a few years ago. I was listening to his mass on the radio and it was during a chanted narration of the great Litany of Saints.

As I was listening to the litany I concentrated on attuning my ears for my favorite saints. As the chant continued through the martyrs and doctors of the church as well as holy presbyters the litany encroached on the intercession of the holy women of God. They sang, Saint Agatha - Pray for Us , Saint Agnes - Pray for Us, Saint Cecilia - Pray for Us, Saint Catherine - - Pray for Us, Saint Teresa (of Avila) - Pray for Us. But then it happened, I heard them sing “Santa Rosa de Lima” (ssss - ahh - n - tah rrr - oh - ssah de lee - mah) - pray for us!

This intercession hits me like a ball of lighting. Her name and the musical way they chanted it gets stuck in my head. I then say it over and over and over a million times and I think it will never stop playing inside me !

At first I thought maybe her name was like a bad broken record because it seemed a bit annoying. I mean, she would not leave me. I was kinda laughing at this but after consideration I finally took this recital of her name to be a grace. The first step to understanding this grace was that I decided to discover more about her.

When I learned of her mystical life, of her love of penance as expiation for souls and her deep union with God in contemplative prayer, I was very humbled. I was able to then beg her not to abandon me as I seemed to have her name always circling around in my brain. In this way I was able to overcome the repetative musical sound of her name and focus on prayer. (kinda like meditating on the mysteries as you recite Ave Maria after Ave Maria).

It was pretty funny sometimes before I had mastered this though. When her musical named called over and over in my head it would sometimes end in a fury. The song would build up so much inside of me that I would just have to shout out the litany for all the world to hear. Picture a mother quietly cooking diner at the stove for everyone and then just sing out with gusto “Santa Rosa de Lima - Pray for us”! I think the children got many a kick out of this happening! We would all laugh and then soon they would chime in with me and we would sing together! (maybe I’ll try this at dinner tonight!)

O.K, well now that you all know just how crazy I am, I hope you realize it is a great happiness and joy to live this way. It is a blessing to keep one’s interior close to the Lord and to surround ourselves with His great friends. It is certainly hard to live in the world today. We must live in it and yet not be a part of it. Like Rose of Lima, praying out in her back yard in a little hermitage she built to escape the daily clatter. Let us listen to the words our Lord spoke to her as He helped her to understand the value of trials and sufferings:

“Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation. Let them know that without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. Let them know that the gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase. Let men take care not to stray and be deceived. This is the only true stairway to paradise, and without the cross they can find no road to climb to heaven”.

We must heap trouble upon trouble to attain a deep participation in the divine nature, the glory of the sons of God and perfect happiness of soul”.

Share This

Salve Regina, Mater Misericordiae,
vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve!
Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Hevae,
ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes,
In hac lacrimarum valle.
Eja ergo, Advocata nostra,
Illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte
Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
Nobis, post hoc exilium, ostende,
O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

O Mother of God, today thou art carried into heaven on the chariots of the cherubim, the seraphim wait upon thee and the ranks of the heavenly army bow before thee. We implore you this day to watch over and protect all your beautiful children who will be starting back to school this day. May they grow in love and devotion to you and may you lead them to know your Son in His eucharistic presence.

Amen

Listen to the Salve Regina in MP3 format from the Idaho Lay Dominican website. It is a beautiful rendition.

Image above is from The Christian Coptic Orthodox Church Of Egypt

Share This

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you, may His praises be sung for eternity!

I have a confession to make. The truth is that I have been overwhelmed with the response to my blog post about my visit to the Our Lady of America statue visiting the Basilica of St. Louis, King (see post below). I suppose it was a blessing for me to be unaware of the reverberation of enthusiasm surrounding the dramatic love so well stimulated in the souls of those who love our Heavenly Mother under this new title she has requested. I was truly caught off guard, though in hindsight I suppose I should not have been.

I was meditating on several aspects of Our Lady of America in chapel today, (though by no means should I lead you to believe I know her in any special way other than just learning a few things about how she has come to be.) I guess what has astonished me most about so many beautiful comments and emails from her admirers has been the deep, deep love of our Lady under this title. We know Our Mother in so many ways, through so many different and wonderfully beautiful expressions of her divine motherhood to us all. I myself feel closest to her under the salutation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. However, because my love for her is so great, it is not limited to this description of her.

So, as I sat in reflection over my personal reaction to this blog post I have done, I remembered my own personal history which includes many different facets of our Mother. As a young girl I was drawn to the statue of her in my parish church as “Our Lady of Grace”. Her face was so beautiful, her clothes so elegant and with her feet squashing that vile serpent — well, I just could not take my eyes off her! She made me feel safe and she made me feel like “one of her own”. Praise God to give children such a comfort as this!

At my Nana’s house (where I spent many a day and night) I remember a wall shrine which had our most Sorrowful Mother holding her crucified Son. Her heart was so full of love and so full of grief and mourning it was hard to look upon her face. I remember holding my eyes downcast and shying away from this shrine. Indeed, it was very difficult for me to view it as a child.

Today I have such love an appreciation for Our Mother as “Our Lady of Czestochowa” (the Black Madonna), “Our Lady of Fatima” (with her crown inlay with the bullet from our dearest John Paul II), “Our Lady of Guadalupe” (with the tiny image of Juan Diego reflected in her eyes) and “Our Lady of the Angels” (a church where she gave me shelter during my time studying in a foreign land).

She is our universal Mother, but in her true femininity, her true humility, her true virginity and purity she seeks us not for herself. Yes, she wants us to be her children, but most importantly she wants us to know and lover her son — Our Redeemer and Lord. She wishes us to emulate her through the practice of virtue and acts of love and mercy. Her greatest ambition is wanting us to love HIM.

St. Francis de Sales, in his “Treatise on the Love of God” so beautifully says about her most sacred position to humanity:

“O true God! how much more really had the sacred virgin and her son but one soul, one heart and one life, so that this heavenly mother, living, lived not, but her son lived in her! ‘Twas a mother the most loving and the most beloved that ever could be, yea loving and beloved with a love incomparably more eminent than that of all the orders of angels and men…”

With our Heavenly Mother so special to us all, why then was I so shocked at everyone’s deep affection for Mary under this title as Our Lady of America? Under this title it is like proclaiming her to be ours and on the “home team” for us here in the USA. She yearns to be known this way and should we not just be ecstatic and full of joy that she has been so generous as to let us know! What a privilege!

I for one am happy to now have the opportunity to begin to know her. Our introduction has greatly humbled me and I dare to even speak about her in this capacity (since my knowledge of what has and is transpiring with her is close to nothing.) I am confident though that learning about the revelations as reported by Sister Mary Ephrem which call the Catholic people in the U.S. to a deeper understanding of the “Divine Indwelling of the Most Holy Trinity” and to a renewal of family life in imitation of the Holy Family to be nothing short of a grace of unbound proportion. It is a call to contemplation and a call to action. It is most of all a call to love…

Share This

She has been making herself known to me bit by bit over the last few months. Though I can not say exactly when the first time was that I heard of her messenger, Sister Mary Ephrem. I guess it should be of little surprise that the Mother she has told me about came knocking upon my doorstep in St. Louis. In a haste of movement I scooped up the children yesterday afternoon for a pilgrimage downtown to say hello to our Heavenly Mother, Our Lady of America.

Thanks to our Archbishop Burke, always on the pulse of devotion, the official statue of Our Lady of America has found her way to the Basilica of St. Louis King of France (known here as the “Old Cathedral” down near the Mississippi River and Gateway Arch). From the pictures I had seen of Our Lady of America I thought her to look a little too American, but that is her title so I guess that should be no big surprise. In gazing upon her in the chapel, however, I was to appreciate better her beauty and charm. In any case, it was not the really the statue we were going to see. Our little adventure down to the Basilica was a special type of “appointment in prayer” to learn more intimately about our Mother through this new title of Our Lady of America.

‘”Behold, O my children, the tears of your Mother! Shall I weep in vain? Assuage the sorrow of my Heart over the ingratitude of sinful men by the love and chasteness of your lives. Will you do this for me, beloved children, or will you allow your Mother to weep in vain? I come to you, O children of America, as a last resort. I plead with you to listen to my voice. Cleanse your souls in the Precious Blood of My Son. Live in His Heart, and take me in that I may teach you to live in great purity of heart which is so pleasing to God. Be my army of chaste soldiers, ready to fight to the death to preserve the purity of your souls. I am the Immaculate One, Patroness of your land. Be my faithful children as I have been your faithful Mother.”

“These are my words, O my daughter. Make them known to my children. I desire to make the whole of America my shrine by making every heart accessible to the love of my Son.'’

I read these words to my children before we entered the church (we actually melted our way in during another 100+degree day here in town). As I finished speaking my son gasped, “Mom,” he said, “that sounded like YOU were really speaking those words to us!” (He had a little frightened look on his little face! — at least I know he was listening.)

I think that these words of our Mother to Sr. Mary Ephrem are not unique only to us here and now in America. I am sure such similar statements have been made by our Mother before as she endeavors to help us and guide us to do the will of her Son. These words, this plea, however, is a distressing call to us. She wants us to become pure, chaste and chivalrous and she implores us to listen to her. This is a tall order for those faithful who live in a country who seems so committed to destroying human life through a culture of death which is so vile and so cruel. But our Mother also sees the good, the virtuous, the prayerful and loving children. She sees how we adore her own Immaculate Conception, her Immaculate Heart, her purity and chasteness. She knows how we struggle to emulate her and how we yearn to grow closer to her Son and to bring everyone we know and love to the ever burning love and mercy of His most Sacred Heart.

But let us try to understand the importance of Our Lady’s words as she has a particular mission here in America. She said to Sr. Mary Ephrem:

“Peace is from within, not from without. If mankind were at peace with itself, there would be peace in the world. Man will only have peace if he has in his heart that true love of neighbor that springs from a whole-hearted love for my Son.”

“My sweet child, if love does not have its roots implanted deeply within the soul, it will die out or be rooted up by the first storm that besets it.”

“O child of my Pure Heart, tell my children to come to me and learn this true love of my Son, which is so necessary for their peace of soul.”

I had visited this “Old Cathedral” of St. Louis many years before this day. Though upon this sojourn I was more keenly aware of its beauty. The “New” Cathedral Basilica in St. Louis is distinguished by its millions of shiny mosaic glass tile and beautiful marble. This “old Cathedral”, by contrast, is flat in color though punctured and highlighted with the radiant beams of afternoon light streaming through its tall windows. The altar is lit from a circular domed window above and instead of a crucifix there is an immense and most beautiful oil color painting of Christ on his cross. While the light gently lay on the pale blue walls, the dark painting seemed to envelop and absorb all the natural light around it. The crucified One then shined forth in His agony. His heart bursting in loving obedience as He hangs there as our eternal Redemptor.

Our Lady of America was to be found on the left side altar. She was standing in front of her spouse and protector, St. Joseph who normally occupies this place in the church. As he stood behind Mary holding baby Jesus he smiled upon her. Indeed this new statue of our Lady was noticeably bright and shiny and so she looked rather new and important among the older and more familiar statuary. Of course we were happy to see St. Therese and the Infant of Prague. And a beautiful painting of Saint Louis King of France which hung in a back altar of the church. (My son was eager to let me know that Louis is always pictured with the crown of thorns as this was his mission in going off to Crusade in the Holy Land. Alas, Louis was not able to retrieve this precious relic! This beautiful little boy is fascinated with knights, crusaders and chivalry. No doubt than that his mind has been stirred with our Lady of America’s call to gallantry and honor as her children!) Anyway, there was no one in the church besides we three and so we took the opportunity to kneel before Our Lady of America on the steps before the altar rail.

As I knelt before her beautiful statue I really had not planned what I would say to her. I thought maybe we would “talk” about her desires for America, about the evil of abortion or injustices of society. But that was my agenda… Instead, in the silence of prayer, the words which came to me were “I need to sacrifice more, I need to sacrifice more, I need to sacrifice more”. The phrase just kept rolling over and over in my heart. These were, of course, not easy words for me to hear or say. I am sure this sacrifice shall not be easy to do and I am not exactly sure what it include. I suppose I will have to rely upon grace. I suppose I will have to hope she will ask her Son to give this grace to me…

There is lots to learn about Our Lady of America and you can visit the official website here. There is also a story in the St. Louis Review Newspaper which sums up her story quite nicely. Finally, if you wish to learn more about St. Mary Ephram’s conversations with Our Lady, Our Lord and St. Joseph you can read a PDF file of transcripts here.

… We gather about you, O chaste and holy Mother, Virgin Im-
maculate, Patroness of our beloved Land, determined to fight under
your banner of holy purity against the wickedness that would make
all the world an abyss of evil, without God and without your loving
maternal care…

Share This

Well, somehow I missed this beautiful, beautiful saint yesterday. I am glad that I found her today. I am going to take her to mass with me this morning. She is Blessed Maria Sagrario of St. Aloysius Gonzaga. She died a virgin and martyr for the faith during the Spanish Civil War.

She was born at Lillo (Toledo) on Jan. 8, 1881. A pharmacist by trade, she was one of the first women in Spain to be admitted to this qualification. In 1915 she entered the Carmel of St. Anne and St. Joseph in Madrid. Through her spirit of prayer and her love for the Eucharist she was a perfect embodiment of the contemplative and ecclesial ideal of the Teresian Carmel. She was Prioress of her community when she was martyred on August 15, 1936. It was a grace she longed for and accepted in perfection of faith ardent love for Christ.

In her beatification ceremony in Rome, Pope John Paul II said of her:

“Mother María Sagrario, a pharmacist in her youth and a Christian example for those who practice that noble profession, gave up everything to live for God alone in Christ Jesus (cf. Romans 6:11) in the Discalced Carmelite Monastery of St Anne and St Joseph in Madrid. There her commitment to the Lord matured, and she learned from him to serve and to sacrifice herself for her brothers and sisters. This how in the turbulent events of July 1936 she found the strength not to betray priests and friends of the community, facing death with integrity for her state as a Carmelite and to save others.”

Here is an excerpt from her writing:
“May Jesus reign always in my heart. The
Lord asks me to be humble, to weep over my
sins, to love Him much, to love my sisters
much, to mortify them in nothing, not to
mortify myself uselessly, to live recollected in
Him wanting nothing for myself, completely
surrendered to His divine will. In this vale of
tears, suffering will not be lacking and we
should be content to have something to offer to
our most beloved Jesus Who wanted so much to
suffer for love of us. The most direct way to
unite ourselves to God is that of the cross, so
we should always desire it. May the Lord not
permit that I be separated from His divine will.

Blessed be God Who gives us these ways
of offering ourselves up to His love! The day
will arrive when we will rejoice for having
suffered in this way. Meanwhile, let us be
generous, suffering everything, if not with
happiness, at least in close conformity to the
divine will of Him Who suffered so much out of
love for us. However great are our sufferings
they come nowhere near His. If you wish to be
perfect seek first of all to be quite humble in
thought, word, deed and desire, learn well what
this means and work tenaciously to carry it out.
Keep your gaze always on our most beloved
Jesus, asking Him in the depths of His heart
what He desires for you, and never deny Him
anything even if it means going strongly against
the grain for you.

Blessed be He Who arranges everything
for our good! In possessing Him, we possess
everything.”

Prayer:
O God,
Who by a spirit of prayer
and devotion to the Eucharist
prepared Bl. Maria Sagrario
to suffer martyrdom,
grant that we, through her example,
may freely spend our lives for You
by faithfully and constantly
fulfilling Your Will. Through our Lord
Jesus Christ Your Son, Who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit one God
for ever and ever.

Amen.

Share This

For today…

Saint John of the Cross was born
near Avila in Spain. As a child, he
was playing near a pond one day. He
slid into the depths of the water, but
came up unharmed and did not sink
again. A tall and beautiful Lady came
to offer him Her hand. “No,” said
the child, “You are too beautiful; my
hand will dirty Yours.” Then an eld-
erly gentleman appeared on the shore
and extended his staff to the child to
bring him to shore. These two were
Mary and Joseph. Another time he
fell into a well, and it was expected
he would be retrieved lifeless. But he
was seated and waiting peacefully. “A
beautiful lady,” he said, “took me into
Her cloak and sheltered me.” Thus
John grew up under the gaze of Mary.

O Preserve a loving attentiveness to God with no desire to feel or
understand any particular thing concerning him.

O Have great love for trials and think of them as but a small
way of pleasing your Bridegroom, who did not hesitate to
die for you.

O Be interiorly detached from all things and do not seek
pleasure in any temporal thing, and your soul will concen-
trate on goods you do not know.

O The soul that walks in love neither tires others nor grows
tired.

O To be taken with love for a soul, God does not look on its
greatness, but on the greatness of its humility

– St. John of the Cross

From the Sayings of Light and Love: The Collected Works of St. John Of The Cross



Story excerpt from the Streams from the Heart of Lady of Mercy Lay Carmelite Community Newsletter Jan 2007

Share This

Oh Mother, St. John Damascene wrote so beautifully of you:

“Angels and archangels have borne you upwards, the impure spirits of the air have trembled at your ascension. The air is purified, the ether sanctified by your passing through them. . . the powers meet you with sacred hymns and much solemnity, saying something like this: Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, elect like the sun? [cf. Cant 6:9] How you have blossomed forth, how sweet you have become! You are the flower of the field, a lily among the thorns [Cant 2.1] . . . Not like Elijah have you entered heaven, not like Paul have you been rapt to the third heaven; no, you have penetrated even to the royal throne of your Son himself . . . a blessing for the world, a sanctification of the universe, refreshment for those who are tired, comfort for the sorrowing, healing for the sick, a port for those in danger, pardon for sinners, soothing balm for the oppressed, quick help for all who pray to you. . .

“Good Mistress, graciously look down on us; direct and guide our destinies wheresoever you will. Pacify the storm of our wicked passions, guide us into the quiet port of the divine will and grant us the blessedness to come.”

St. John Damascene was one of the last of the Early Church Fathers. He died in 749AD and was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII in the 19th century.

READ MORE of his wrtings here!

Lord have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us
Holy Mother of God, pray for us
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us
Mother of Christ, pray for us
Mother of divine grace, pray for us
Mother most pure, pray for us
Mother most chaste, pray for us
Mother inviolate, pray for us
Mother undefiled, pray for us
Mother most amiable, pray for us
Mother most admirable, pray for us
Mother of good counsel, pray for us
Mother of our Creator, pray for us
Mother of our Redeemer, pray for us
Virgin most prudent, pray for us
Virgin most venerable, pray for us
Virgin most renowned, pray for us
Virgin most powerful, pray for us
Virgin most merciful, pray for us
Virgin most faithful, pray for us
Mirror of justice, pray for us
Seat of wisdom, pray for us
Cause of our joy, pray for us
Spritual vessel, pray for us
Vessel of honor, pray for us
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us
Mystical rose, pray for us
Tower of David, pray for us
Tower of ivory, pray for us
House of gold, pray for us
Ark of the covenant, pray for us
Gate of Heaven, pray for us
Morning Star, pray for us
Health of the sick, pray for us
Refuge of sinners, pray for us
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us
Help of Christians, pray for us
Queen of Angels, pray for us
Queen of Patriarchs, pray for us
Queen of Prophets, pray for us
Queen of Apostles, pray for us
Queen of Martyrs, pray for us
Queen of Confessors, pray for us
Queen of Virgins, pray for us
Queen of all Saints, pray for us
Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us
Queen of peace, pray for us

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world: Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world: Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world: Have mercy on us.

Pray for us, most holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O God, whose only begotten Son, by his life, death and resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech you, that while meditating of the mysteries of the most holy rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

“Remain with us, our comfort, our sole joy in this world. O Mother leave us not orphans who have suffered on thy Son’s account. May we have thee as a refuge and refreshment in our labours and weariness. Thou canst remain if thou so willest, even as thou canst depart hence. if thou departest, O dwelling-place of God let us go too, if we are thine through thy Son. Thou art our sole consolation on earth. We live as long as thou livest, and it is bliss to die with thee. Why do we speak of death? Death is life to thee, and better than life– [185] incomparably exceeding this life. How is our life–life, if we are deprived of thee?” – St. John Damascene

Words from St. John Damascene. On holy images, followed by three sermons on the Assumption. Translated by Mary H. Allies. London: Thomas Baker, 1898

Share This

St. Maximilian Kolbe:

“He was beaten, tortured, injected with poison, and suffered from tuberculosis. But not even the Nazis soldiers could break his courage.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe was born in January, 1984, and was the second of three sons. He was born into a poor but devout Catholic family in Poland. His father was hanged by Russians for being a fighter for the freedom of Poland. His mother became a Benedictine nun and his brother became a priest.

When Maximilian was twelve he had a vision of Mary. He wrote down: “I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, and the other red. She asked if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity and the red one that I should become a martyr. I said I would accept them both” This meeting with Mary changed his life.” — Jeff Owens

Today’s saint is such an inspiration to my son. He read Maximilian Kolbe: Saint of Auschwitz by Elaine Murray Stone last year and it made a deep impression on him. He seemed so inspired by the choice given to St. Maximlian by Mary to choose the color crown he wanted to wear for her. I know that he thought about this choice for a very long time. I hope today he will think again on this beautiful and corageous man. Indeed, I am sure all boys would be inspired by such a man!

There is an amazing article on St. Maximilian and his understanding of the Immaculate Conception at the Catholic Culture website. My favorite part being this:

” … he would often ask, “Who are you?” For Our Lady did not say “I was immaculately conceived,” but rather identified herself, her very being (”I am”) with the “Immaculate Conception.” Kolbe says these words of Mary “point up not only the fact that she was conceived without sin, but also the manner in which this privilege belongs to her. It is not something accidental; it is something that belongs to her very nature. For she is Immaculate Conception in person.”

The above words are taken from the Polish Martyr’s last writing, a few hours before his final arrest by the Nazis…”
You can find the entire article here:

St. Maximilian Kolbe and the Immaculate Conception by Dwight P. Campbell at CatholicCulture.org

p.s.  Happy birthday to my young nephew.  May he oneday read and be inspired by St. Maximilian… 

Share This

I came across a wonderful little podcast in Mp3 format by Teófilo de Jesús on his Vivificat! blog. In the podcast he gives a fundamental explanation of Lectio Divina and leads the listener through a guided tutorial of this practice in the order of St. Benedict.

Teófilo cautions that unlike in eastern prayer where we the person in meditation seeks to empty himself in search of some great NOTHING.  By contrast, we in meditating through lectio divina are ever mindful of the One Almighty Triune and transcendent God so that we may discern what He might reveal to us through His word. And, through our meditation in this way, that word may be more easily perceived.

The spiritual reading for this episode is of the Gospel Reading from the 5th Sunday of Easter, AD 2007 - Year “C.”

Teófilo says:

This podcast is approximately 21 minutes long. I intend to keep future podcasts at about 10 minutes. This one lasted that long because I had to explain the different “steps” of Lectio Divina as I went through it. I apologize for all technical blunders beforehand. I am still exploring my sound suite and I haven’t discovered all the tricks, shortcuts, and techniques. Some transitions are less than perfect, so adjust your volume accordingly.

My accent is also less than perfect, and so is my English pronunciation. Sure, I’ve been speaking our English language for over 20 years. The learning process never ends! If my accent bothers you, think some obscure Spanish-speaking aspiring contemplative, who dragged himself from his cell in order to share a little bit of what goes on in his heart with you.

I thank Teófilo for this podcast and hope he will produce some other podcasts in the future!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Share This

Of Saint Lawrence.

The deacon Lawrence hath done a good work, he who gave light to the blind through the sign of the cross.
V: He dispersed and gave to the poor.
R: His justice remaineth forever.
Oratio: Amen.

Prayer:  Grant to us, we beseech, O omnipotent God, to quench the flames of our vices, thou who didst grant to blessed Lawrence thy martyr the power to overcome the fires of his torments. Through Christ our Lord, thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, O God, world without end.

Amen.

From the Suffrages in the  “Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary” in the Book of Hours. 

ABOVE IMAGE:  Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence, lunette mosaic, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, Italy, c. 425-26 CE 

Share This

This is an excerpt from a book, “Carmel in England: A History of the English Mission of the Discalced Carmelites, 1615 to 1849″ by Fr. Bernardinus of St. Teresa, OCD which was published in 1899. There are some dandy stories in this book, but I like this introduction on the Carmelite mission. The best part is at the end…

“Notwithstanding the wide scope of the missionary spirit, the chief object of the Carmelite Order is not active but contemplative life. There can be no doubt that while it was confined to the East alone it was altogether contemplative; the Rule, confirmed by the lives of our early saints, says so. On being transplanted to Europe, the Carmelites added the duties of the active to those of the contemplative life. St. Teresa, while encouraging active work among the friars (the nuns always led an entirely contemplative life), desired that even with them contemplation should occupy the first place. In fact the labours of the apostolic ministry, whatever form they may assume, are merely the outcome of a life of prayer, and the more intense this spirit, the more efficacious the ministry.

Throughout the history of the Church we find that the greatest contemplatives ever have been the most zealous men. Instance the example of St.. Augustine, St. Bernanrd, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Francis de Sales, and in our own Order, St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross themselves, Ven. Father Dominic of Jesus Mary, Thomas of Jesus, John of Jesus Mary 1, and many others.

Contemplation is the grand attribute of Almighty God, who derives infinite beatitude from the knowledge and love of Himself; it forms the felicity of the blessed in heaven, who by the light of glory gaze on the perfections of the Most High. But upon earth it can only be attained in a limited degree. The knowledge of God obtained by meditation rather than by study, and the “Charity of God poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given to us,” together with the mortification of our unruly passions, bring the soul within reach of the Godhead, and not seldom give it a foretaste of the joys of heaven. Thus, all those who one day will be saved are called to the contemplative life in its most perfect form; what wonder, then, that many, impressed by the sublime dignity of their supernatural destiny, should aspire to it as it may be enjoyed on earth, when the soul is in closest union with its Creator? It is a matter of deep concern that, of the countless souls called to the contemplative life, few only heed the voice of Him who calls…”




1. Ven. Father John of Jesus Mary, born a Calahora in Spain in 1564, entered the Order about 1582. He was sent to Genoa for his studies, and became one of the first members of the Italian Congregation, in which he occupied almost every dignity, even that of General (1611-14). His death occurred on 28th May 1615, and his body remains incorrupt to the present day. A most renowned writer, he has left numerous works on Mystical Theology, as also Instructions for Superiors, Novices and Students, which latter have be incorporated in the Constitutions and are still in vigor.

Carmel in England: A History of the English Mission of the Discalced Carmelites, 1615 to 1849

By Fr. Bernardinus of St. Theresia
Published 1899
Burns & Oates

Share This

“Happy the virgin who denied herself and took up her cross. She imitated the Lord, the spouse of virgins and prince of martyrs… “

It was with undivided attention to Christ and uniting her cross to His own that today’s saint, Teresa Benedicta, was able to walk in the silent confidence of loving witness and martyrdom in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

I often think of Teresa and her testimony when in the liturgy of the hours we remember the three young voices crying out from the fiery furnace, “Blessed be God”. How incredible it seems to me that these holy martyrs have the courage to meet their end with such super human strength. Obviously it is because they understood it was NOT the end but the BEGINNING and have been granted special graces in order to brave such agonies. But these graces surely are only given to souls who are already united so beautifully with our Lord.

In todays office of readings we hear from Edith Stein in her own words:

“Stand before the Lord Who hangs from the cross with
His heart torn open. He poured out the blood of His heart
in order to win your heart. In order to follow Him in holy
chastity, your heart must be free from every earthly
aspiration. Jesus Crucified must be the object of your every
longing, of your every desire, of your every thought.

The world is in flames: the fire can spread even to our
house, but above all the flames the cross stands on high,
and it cannot be burnt. The cross is the way which leads
from earth to heaven. Those who embrace it with faith,
love, and hope are taken up, right into the heart of the
Trinity.

The world is in flames: do you wish to put them out?
Contemplate the cross: from His open heart the blood of the
Redeemer pours, blood which can put out even the flames
of hell. Through the faithful observance of the vows you
make your heart free and open; and then the floods of that
divine love will be able to flow into it, making it overflow
and bear fruit to the furthest reaches of the earth.

Through the power of the cross you can be present
wherever there is pain, carried there by your compassionate
charity, by that very charity, which you draw from the
divine heart. That charity enables you to spread every-
where the most precious blood in order to ease pain, save
and redeem.

The eyes of the Crucified gaze upon you. They question
you and appeal to you. Do you wish seriously to renew
your alliance with Him What will your response be?
“Lord, where shall I go? You alone have the words of life.”
Ave Crux, spes unica!”
I pray that I may meet my cross today with love of our Lord.

_____________

Part II of this post is from the most beautiful Novena to Saint Teresa Benedicta composed by Elias Friedman, O.C.D., founder of the Association of Hebrew Catholics (AHC). The Association now has its headquarters in St. Louis (read the story here). This is the final day of the Novena and the description of life at the time of Edith Stein’s death in Nazi Germany is helpful in explaining her story. There is a link at the bottom to the AHC website and the entire novena.

Novena to Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

Day 9 Sunday, August 9th, 1942
The Auschwitz Extermination Camp

Auschwitz was at that time a small provincial Polish town, which was to give its name to the notorious concentration camp, opened nearby by order of Himmler for political prisoners on April 27, 1940. The first camp was rather small in size and was called, subsequently, Auschwitz I. In October 1941, a far more extensive camp was set up, named after a neighboring village, Auschwitz II-Birkenau (Encyclopaedia Judaica Vol. 3, Coll. 854-871). From March 1942, Jews were directed to the second camp.

Mass murders of Jewish prisoners by Zyklon B (prussic acid) gas was instituted at Birkenau as from January 1942, at the instigation of Adolf Eichmann, who was in overall command of the execution of the “Final Solution” of the Jewish Problem by genocide, decided on by the Nazis at Wansee in 1941. The gassing continued for two years and ten months, during which time a million Jews perished in the camp.

The convoys arrived at the rate of three or four a day; they were usually met at the platform by the Camp Commandant, Rudolph Hoess, later executed for war-crimes, and the infamous Dr. Mengele, who performed the “Selektion”, strong prisoners being separated for forced labor in mines and factories, the remainder being consigned for immediate “elimination.”

The first transport of prisoners from Holland arrived in July 1942; the one carrying our Saint was, perhaps, the third, being preceded by a transport of men which had reached the camp that afternoon.

The newcomers were taken to barracks and told to leave their clothes on a numbered peg, to be retrieved after the shower, which they were falsely led to believe would follow. Women usually had their hair cut off. The prisoners had then to walk four hundred meters along a path till they came to a large room, with tubes running across the ceiling. Force was used to get them to enter, when necessary. The metal doors were locked, levers operated and the gas introduced into the rooms. Twenty to twenty-five minutes later, electric-pumps evacuated the gas, allowing special commando-units to enter and empty the chambers. Not all the victims were dead. Gold dentures were removed and the corpses carted away to be thrown into a common fosse. Crematoria had not yet been installed at Auschwitz; but, later, to obliterate traces of their crimes, the Nazis exhumed the corpses and had them burnt.

From the moment of the arrival of a convoy to the extermination of the victims, no more than an hour and a half would elapse, as a rule. The killing of human beings became a monotonous routine.

Saint Edith, her companions and a thousand other Hebrew Catholics died in the gas-chambers of Auschwitz II-Birkenau on the morning of August 9th from suffocation by prussic acid fumes. She then entered into her glory, accompanied, as we like to believe, by many others.

Visit the Associations of Hebrew Catholics website for the entire, and most beautiful, Novena to Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

Listen to the SAINT CAST (podcast) about St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

Share This